grapple

American  

[grap-uhl] / ˈgræp əl /

verb (used without object)

grappled, grappling

1. to hold or make fast to something, as with a grapple.

2. to use a grapple.

3. to seize another, or each other, in a firm grip, as in wrestling; clinch.

4. to engage in a struggle or close encounter (usually followed bywith ).

   He was grappling with a boy twice his size.

5. to try to overcome or deal (usually followed bywith ).

   to grapple with a problem.

   Synonyms:

   tussle, cope, wrestle, contend, struggle

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verb (used with object)

grappled, grappling

1. to seize, hold, or fasten with or as with a grapple.

2. to seize in a grip, take hold of.

   The thug grappled him around the neck.

noun

1. a hook or an iron instrument by which one thing, as a ship, fastens onto another; grapnel.

2. a seizing or gripping.

3. a grip or close hold in wrestling or hand-to-hand fighting.

4. a close, hand-to-hand fight.

grapple British  

/ ˈɡræpəl /

verb

1. to come to grips with (one or more persons), esp to struggle in hand-to-hand combat

2. to cope or contend

   to grapple with a financial problem

3. (tr) to secure with a grapple

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noun

1. any form of hook or metal instrument by which something is secured, such as a grapnel

2. 1. the act of gripping or seizing, as in wrestling

   2. a grip or hold

3. a contest of grappling, esp a wrestling match

Other Word Forms

• grappler noun
• intergrapple verb
• ungrappled adjective

Etymology

Origin of grapple

1520–30; apparently a frequentative of Old English gegrǣppian to seize; associated with grapnel

Example Sentences

MomTok inspired the Hulu reality show “The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives,” which follows eight women in Salt Lake City who grapple with their relationship with the church.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 30, 2026

The verdict has forced those inside the companies to grapple with the fact that many outsiders do not view them as favourably as they have come to view themselves.

From BBC • Mar. 27, 2026

As Europe begins to grapple with its need for greater growth, the question is whether its current energy policy can support necessary reindustrialization while meeting the massive power demands of a burgeoning AI economy.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 23, 2026

Bond markets are now having to grapple with the rising odds of a rate hike, and pricing benchmark two-year note yields some 20 basis points north of the effective fed-funds rate.

From Barron's • Mar. 19, 2026

Among the first to grapple directly with this question was the Jesuit educator Jose de Acosta, who spent a quarter century in New Spain.

From "1491" by Charles C. Mann

Related Words

• confront
• contend
• cope